Liquid cleaner



Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED STATES- PATENT mar 2,009,413 LIQUID ctEANEn H. Belyea, Boston, No Drawing. Applicatiogg-Iil y 2, 1931,

the same stable for many hours, thereby facilitat- This invention relates to liquid cleaners, and more particularly to a liquidpetroleum soap or cleaner.

Petroleum or mineral oil or hydrocarbon solvents such as gasoline, benzine, kerosene, and the likepandcarbon tetrachloride as well, are well known solvents valuable when cleaning greasyoi' oily substances from finished surfaces and fabric. 1

Such a solvent if used as a cleaner suffers from the disadvantage that its use should preferably be followed by a cleaning with soap, in order to remove the solvent and substance released thereby. In order to combine the advantages of both the solvent and soap, it has heretofore frequently been attempted to provide what maybe termed a petroleum soap or cleaner which includes both a petroleum or mineral oil solvent and a soap, However, it has heretofore been found impossible to prepare such a cleaner inthe form of a liquid which will remain perma-,

oil or grease, but which preferably, for reasons,

, later described, is a non-saponifiable non-mineral essential oil or wood distillate oil such as pine oil, lemon oil, cedar oil, and if the odor is no objection, creosol, and the like.

Before mixing thepetroleum or hydrocarbon or mineral oil solvent with the main body of soap, it is desirable to emulsify the solvent. This may be done by adding sufficient alkali and agitating thoroughly. Such an emulsion is exceedingly temporary and gives little leeway in manufacture for the preparation in quantity of the emulsion as a step product. Accordingly, a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a more stable emulsion, and this, I find, may be done by adding a keeper for the emulsion, which may be generally described as asulphonated oil, particularly sulphonated vegetable oils such as castor oil, linseed oil or cottonseed oil, Such oils 'already treated with sulphuric acid to sulphonate the same are sold commercial- 1y by the name Turkey red oil. In accordance with the present invention the solvent, say kerosene, is mixed with both suiiicient alkali to emulsify the same and a small quantity of Turkey red oil, say four ounces to the gallon, after which the mixture is agitated until the desired emulsion is obtained. While the addition of the keeper does n make the emulsion permanent, it does make ing manufacture of the final product? Other objects of the present invention are to provide specific formulae and 'a' detailed commercially applicable process for making the cleaner in an economical manner with a miniof waste.

Another object is to provide such aflcleaner which will permanently remain clear and transparent while incorporating a relatively .high proportion of the petroleumor mineral oil solvent. An additional object is to so arrange the process of manufacture that a clear transparent liquid may be obtained directlyv from the mixture and without filtering the same.

To the accomplishmentof the foregoing and such other objects as will'hereinafter appear,

my'invention resides in the liquid cleaner elements and process steps in the manufacture of the same, andtheir relation one to\' the other as hereinafter are more-particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. f v

The liquid cleaner of my invention is made up generally of a petroleum derivative or mineral oil or hydrocarbon solvent and a soap, with the addition, of course, of a sufllcient body of waterto dition without settling out or stratification, and

which at the same time. is readily miscible with additional water to formsuds.

I have found that the desired result can be obtained generally by binding the mixture with T a non-mineral oil or grease binder, preferably a: non-saponiflable non-mineral essential oil or wood distillate oil such as pine oil,lemon "oil,-

cedar oil, creosol, and the like. I

The petroleum derivative or mineral oil solvent may be gasoline, naphtha,-kerosene, benzine, or

' similar well known products. For arefined kind of cleaner a product known commercially as Varnolenejf which is a redistilled or'refined and odorless form of kerosene, may desirably be employed; As defined in Boynton Patent 1,715,589,, f

"Varnolene is a petroleum fractionfree from aromatic hydrocarbons ,and containing-not over 2 per cent" of unsaturated hydrocarbons;"'which between 300 F. and 810 F., a dry or maximum boiling. point between 400 F. and 415 F.,' a flash point between F. and F., a point between F. and F., and-a gravity between 49 Be. and 50 Be. j Such solvents'as carbon. tetrachloride, trichlorethylene, and other chlorine derivatives are also utilizable and valuable.

petroleum fraction has an initial boiling point The soap may be in any form, as solid, pastef, powder, or liquid. In the following description when quantitative proportions are mentiond it is to be assumed that soap in the powdered or solid state is meant, and if. a liquid soap is used, ,an

equivalent amount of soap should be provided,- v that is, allowance'should be made for the weight of the vehicle in the liquid soap, as is well understood in this art. The soap may be anolive oil soap, a palm oils'oap, a cocoanut oil soap, or a tallow soap, or any like product.

To make the liquid cleaner in accordance with my invention, the petroleum or mineral oil solventis first emulsified. To do' this an alkali is added and the mixture is agitated'until the desired emulsion isobtained. The alkali is preferably sodium metasilicate. It may also be water glass or sodium silicate in liquid or powdered form, and'in fact other alkaline substances may be used in accordance with the already established knowledge in this art. The necessary quantity may be determined empirically for any particular alkali, and may vary considerably, but should not be less than that necessary to emulsify the solvent, and at the same time should not be greatly in excess because the excess alkali will prove injurious to painted surfaces or'fabrics subsequently to be cleaned. ,To this emulsion the remaining ingredients, principally the soap, are added to make the cleaner. However, the emulsion must be kept in a continual state'of agitation and cannot be permitted to stand because it immediately begins to settle and stratify. In accordance with one of the features of the present invention the emulsion is stabilized by the addition of a keeper. This keeper is a sulphonated 011, preferably a sulphonated vegetable oil such as castor oil, linseed oil or cottonseed oil. These oils may be obtained already treated with sulphuric acid to sulphonate the same, and are sold under the commercial name of Turkey red oil. I have found that the addition of a small quantity of such a sulphonated oil stabilizes the emulsion, and while it does not make the same permanent, makes "it possible to let the same stand for many hours without undesired stratifiture, for the emulsion may be prepared in large quantities and have added thereto the remaining ingredients of the cleaner in such batches as may be desired. The quantity of Turkey red oil used may vary, but I find that the addition of four ounces for-each gallon of kerosene'to be emulsifiedJs a sufficient and desirable amount. The four ounces of keeper may be and are preferably preliminarily diluted-in, ,say, a quart of water which then is added to the mixture of kerosene and alkali. This mixture is beaten or agitated strongly, which quickly results in producing the desired emulsion. No heating or boiling is necessary, for theprocess may be conducted in a cool or cold state.

To the emulsified kerosene a suitable quantity of soap is added which, as before stated, may be in solid, paste, liquid or powdered state and maybe derived from one or a mixture of oils all well known in the soap art.- I prefer to use olive oil soap which results in an amber! colored cleaner, but palm oil soap, cocoanut oil soap, and tallow soapmay be used as desired, depending upon the particular appearance and properties the finished cleaner is to have. The-soap is mixed thoroughly with the emulsion in any desired ratio,

one example being two pounds of powdered soap to a gallon of the emulsion, and this mixture resultE-Jin the formation of a paste to which there may be subsequently or simultaneously added sufficient water to thin the mixture out to approximately the desired liquid consistency. If preferred the water may be warmed slightly, say to 140 F. ;in order to facilitate dilution of the mixture.

At this point wehave a liquid cleaner or detergent which may be classed as a petroleumliq-' uid soap, but which upon standing for only a few hours will settle and stratify. Now in accordance with the present invention a binder is added to the liquid cleaner, which prevents such stratification and which results in the same remaining in 'a" clear state :of solution indefinitely. The binder shouldbe a non-mineral oil or grease. is preferably non-saponifiable and may be an essential oil or a wood distillate oil, specific exam ples being pine oil, lemon oil, cedar oil, and creosol. Because of its convenience and cheapness, .I prefer to use pine oil. A small quantity of this oil is added to. the cleaner and stirred thoroughly. The mixture is then allowed to stand, whereupon a froth-like scum gathers at the top of and floats upon the-main body of liquid. This froth includes the impurities resulting from the manufacture of the soap. The main body of liquid underneath the top froth or scum is so clear that it may be directly separated andused, without filtration. This is most simply accomplished by syphoning the clear liquid out of the tank or vat of mixture, the end of the syphon being located below. the collection of impurities.

A saponifiable non-mineral oil such as cocoanut oil or cottonseed oil may be employed as a binder, but I find that when such a broad class of oils is used, including everything except mineral oils, the process is neither efiicient nor recono "cal because of the exceedingly heavy layer of roth or scum which forms at the top of the liquid and which robs the latter of volume so that only arelatively small or reduced quantity of cleaner is obtainable. If, on the other hand, a non-saponifiable non-mineral essential oil or wood distillate oil such as pine oil, lemon oil, or cedar oil is usedfthe process is efficient and the volume of clear liquid cleaner obtained is large.

Creosol also is a suitable binder and may be employed whenever there is no objection to the penetrating odor thereof. In some cases the addition of a small quantity of creosol may be considered advantageous in order to purposely give the cleaner suchan odor.

It should be understood that the binder may be added to the ingredients of the cleaner at any desired time. For example, it may be beaten into the paste obtained when the emulsion and soap are mixed and prior tothe addition of the main body of water vehicle or dilutent. However, I find it best to add the binder at the end of the process in the manner previously describedfbecause the yield of liquid cleaner is then greatest.

vThe addition of the binder at earlier stages in the process seems to result in a thicker layer of impurities or froth at the top of the mixture prior to separation or syphoning.

A specific formula for one example of cleaner embodying the present invention is next given. To a gallon of kerosene there are added four ounces of sodium metasilicate and four ounces of Turkey red oil preferably dilutedin a quart of which preferably warm water is added until five gallons of liquid mixture are obtained. Ten ounces of pine oil are finally added and the mixture is stirred thoroughly, permitted to stand until impurities collect at the surface, after which the bottom liquid is syphoned in order to separate or free the same from the impurities. A clear perfectly transparent amber colored solution is obtained, without filtration or other refinement. It will be noted that this liquidcleaner or detergent comprises generally twenty per cent of kerosene or solvent, approximately fifty per cent of water, and that there are two pounds of soap per gallon of cleaner.

The resulting detergent may be used for general cleaning purposes, and a few illustrations of its use follow:

In cleaning the chassis, wheels, and mudguards of automobiles, particularly when the same are oily or greasy, the present practice is to spray or brush the same with kerosene and to thereafter wash the surfaces with soap. The present cleaner replaces both of these cl aning steps, for it is simply necessary to mix, say a pint of the cleaner in a pail of water and to apply the cleaner directly to the chassis, wheels and mudguards of the automobile.

The cleaner may be used to remove oil 01' grease spots from fabric and upholstery, and in such case it is applied directly in undiluted form, it being merely necessary to employ some caution in applying the same to avoid the formation of a ring, as is already known in connection with other cleaners. It is desirable to wipe the surface with a clean cloth in order to pick up and remove the discoloring substance freed by the detergent.

The cleaner may also be used in laundries, particularly by adding the same in small quantities to the first batch of water or break in which the clothes are soaked before they are washed with alkaline soaps in the conventional manner.

The liquid cleaner may, of course, be used widely for general cleaning purposes and is good on painted or similarly finished surfaces.

The mode of manufacturing and of using the cleaner of my invention, andthe many advantages thereof, will, it is thought, be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. The cleaner is readily made by a cold process from relatively cheap and widely available substances by simple mixture and agitation of the ingredients. A perfectly clear transparent liquid is obtained without filtration or similar refinement. The liquid remains clear and transparent for an indefinite time despite the fact that it contains both a petroleum or mineral oil solvent and soap, which heretofore have been found uncombinable.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described the cleaner of my invention and method of making the same in the preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims. The term alkaline silicate is intended to be construed sufficiently broadly to include the closely related sodium metasilicate.

I claim:

1. The method of making a clear transparent uniform liquid petroleum soap or cleaner, which includes emulsifying a light petroleum distillate bf the class consisting of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and benzene, with the aid of an alkali metal silicate, adding thereto a soap and sufficient water to obtain a cleaner of the desired consistency, thereafter adding an essential oil of the group consisting of pine oil, lemon oil, and cedar oil,-

then stirring the mixture, and finally directly physically separating the clear liquid from the top froth.

2. The method of making a clear transparent uniform liquid petroleum soap or cleaner, which includes emulsifying a light petroleum distillate of the class consisting of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and benzene by means of an alkali metal silicate and a sulphonated vegetable oil stabilizer, adding to the emulsified solvent a soap, mixing the same to form a paste, diluting the paste in water to obtain a liquid, adding an essential oil of the group consisting of pine oil, lemon oil, and cedar oil, stirring the mixture, and finally directly physically separating the resulting clear liquid from the top froth.

3. The method of making a clear transparent uniform liquid petroleum soap or cleaner by a cold process, which includes emulsifying a light petroleum distillate of the class consisting of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and benzene by means of an alkali metal silicate and a sulpho' nated vegetable oil stabilizer, adding to the emulsified solvent a soap, and mixing the same to form a paste, diluting the paste in water to obtain a liquid, adding a non-mineral non-saponifiable essential oil of the group consisting of pine oil, lemon oil, and cedar oil, stirring the mixture, and finally siphoning the resulting clear liquid to separate the same from the top froth, all without heating during the process.

4. The method of rapidly making a liquid petroleum soap or cleaner by a cold process, which includes emulsifying a gallon of kerosene with the aid of an alkali metal silicate, adding to the emulsified kerosene ten pounds of olive oil soap and sufficient water to make approximately five gallons of liquid cleaner, adding ten ounces of pine oil and stirring well, and finally separating the clear liquid from the froth.

5. The method of rapidly making a clear transparent uniform liquid petroleum soap or cleaner by a cold process, which includes emulsifying a gallon of kerosene with the aid of an alkali metal silicate and sulphonated vegetable oil, adding to the emulsified kerosene ten pounds of oilve oil soap and beating the same to form a paste, adding water until approximtaely five gall ns of liquid cleaner are obtained, adding ten ounces of pine oil and stirring well, and finally separating the clear liquid from the froth.

6. A liquid petroleum soap or cleaner made up of ingredients in the following proportion: a

gallon of kerosene, sufficient of an alkali metal soap, ten ounces of pine oil, and suflicient water to make five gallons of cleaner.

FRED H. RELYEA. 

